No veterans allowed

After an absence of many years, I recently returned to Etowah County to be near family members and longtime friends.

This is my place of birth and where I lived until after graduation from high school. The long absence included time in military service, college and working until retirement.

The relocation required contacting a physician who would accept a new patient. In the yellow pages a doctor's ad was found which stated "new patients accepted."

That doctor's office was phoned to inquire if the ad was still accurate. The usual questions were asked concerning my age, insurance, health problems, medications and, surprisingly, if I was a veteran.

The last question was answered in the affirmative, thinking it would be a positive factor. Wrong!

On the following day I was told he had studied the information I submitted and would not accept me as a patient because I am a veteran.

To say I was shocked would be a gross understatement. I asked why he would not accept veterans and was told that veterans might later go to the VA for medication or health care.

That person was again informed that I have Medicare, parts A and B, with supplemental insurance through my former employer, that I had never filed a VA claim and had no plans to do so. The response was that the doctor would not accept any veteran as a new patient.

Thinking I might have misinterpreted what I heard, I called again on another day and was given the same answer.

I have been active in veterans' organizations for more than 20 years and have held many offices in those organizations from the post level up to state commander, and have served on a large number of committees from the post level to the national level.

In performing those duties I have had the privilege and honor of talking with many hundreds of veterans at post, district, area, state and national meetings and conventions and in hospitals and nursing homes.

Their military ranks ranged from recruit to major general and the medals they earned from the Good Conduct Medal to the Congressional Medal of Honor.

While discussing their problems during thousands of conversations I have never heard even one veteran say he or she had been refused anything in this country simply because of having served in the military of the United States.

I was never exposed to combat, because the Korean War ended while I was in basic training, but I will forever be grateful to those who were.

If not for their sacrifices none of us would enjoy the many great freedoms we have today, including my freedom of writing this letter to the editor and that doctor's freedom of studying and practicing medicine in this country and being most selective about whom he will accept as a new patient.

The old vets of World War II and Korea are dying at the rate of more than 1,000 per day, and most of the living need medical care as do so many of those from more recent conflicts. And now we are involved in yet another war which will create even more veterans requiring medical care.

If they seek that care in Gadsden, there is at least one doctor who will refuse to treat them only because of their service to our country and the sacrifices they have made for all of us, including that doctor. What a shame!

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